Monday, November 20, 2023
stewardship 6: tend the warming fire of st. john’s
Sandra Pagel
Sandra Pagel (R) alongside her father in a New York City newspaper clipping. The original caption read, "William C. Louis, a World War 1 veteran, registers for the draft at P. S. 78, Whitestone, Queens, while his daughter Sandra, 5, looks on in wonder."
A Dad’s Thoughts
“Everything I learned about one’s earthly treasure, I learned at the age of kindergarten,” paraphrased from the book written by Robert Fulghum in 1990.
My Dad had guidelines or rules about finances that he happily shared with me, my brother and cousins. The first was very simple: if you were given a monetary gift, a portion went to the work of the Lord. So, if we received a dollar or perchance found one, a dime went into the plate on Sunday morning. As we grew older and weekly allowance, or a job of babysitting for me or mowing neighbor’s lawns for my brother appeared, a problem arose – was this a gift or not? We asked and Dad replied:
He held up a bill, any denomination, and noted that this is only a piece of paper. It has almost no value in itself, and takes on value only when it is used for something. He would point to the beautiful half-moon fireplace in the corner of the living room with its andirons and grate filled with logs. You can use this piece of paper all for your own use or you can light a fire to warm yourself and others. The choice is yours.
Please join me in stewardship to keep the warmth of St. John’s glowing.